Limp
by Kay117
Summary: What if the Gods were high school students? What if Hephaestus was in love with and dating Aphrodite, but Athena was secretly plotting to pull them apart? This is a love story that centers around Hephaestus, Athena, Aphrodite, and Ares. Please R&R!
1. Introduction

I've always found I carry a soft spot for Hephaestus, and I love Athena, so I decided to write this just for fun. Please REVIEW!!! Thanks!

**Introduction**

Mount Olympus High School was recognized throughout Greece to be the most prestigious, elite private school that any financially fortunate parent could send their lucky child. It was equipped with the best facilities, boasted the most qualified and sought-after teachers, and the education it provided was strictly reserved for the unimaginably wealthy or blossoming intelligentsia. On any given day, one could walk the halls of Mount Olympus and cross paths with (and be snickered and whispered at by) the guaranteed Successors to Power in the nation of Greece. All the students at Mount Olympus could, and constantly did, brag about the privileged circumstances of their lives, whether it was a kingdom they would soon inherit (once they overthrew their father), or their "personal connections" with a particular God or Goddess (acquired with incessant obsequious behavior).

The Gods and Goddesses were the most select and influential group of students at Mount Olympus, and they ruled over the school, including the faculty and administration, as if it were Greece itself. They were the undisputed leaders, and to defy them or disrupt their reign was to commit a most dangerous and unforgivable offense. Simply failing to compliment the new hair accessory of a particularly vain Goddess could easily find you with a month's worth of detentions, a failing grade in a class, and almost always several weeks of social isolation.

The Gods, as they were commonly referred to, were comprised of eight students: Zeus, the head honcho and leader of the pack, whose word unquestionably went without argue; Hera, Zeus' girlfriend and oldest of the Goddesses; Athena, wise, but at times belligerent; The twins Aphrodite and Aphrodite, who shared the same name but none of the same personality traits; Hades, Zeus' older but considerably more emotional brother; Ares, foolish, hot-headed, and violent; and finally, the protagonist of this story and coincidentally the oddest of The Gods, Hephaestus.

Hephaestus was unlike the other Gods in that he was only one of them who was flawed in a way that was visibly detectable. That is to say, he was not an embodiment of physical perfection. Hephaestus walked with a limp, as his right leg was defectively twisted outward at the knee, rendering it useless and cursing the rest of him. It was silently wondered by every other student at Mount Olympus just what, exactly, had qualified him for his Godly status. Most had come to the conclusion that it was either because he was Ares' older brother or that he was the boyfriend of one of the Aphrodites, which was a mystery in and of itself. Despite all the girls at Mount Olympus who would sell their soul to date a God, any God, Hephaestus loved Aphrodite, perhaps the most anti-relationship, promiscuous female to attend that high school. Why Aphrodite allowed him to date her was not so confusing; who else would give her such free reign in regards to other male individuals?

Hephaestus lived his life day by day, and, also unlike any of the other Gods, he never took for granted the perks that came with his high standing. He smiled at the non-Gods who quickly gave him the right of way in the hall as he hobbled in his off-beat gait to his next class, and he thanked the near immediate hand that retrieved his dropped pencil, instead of snatching it away from non-divine fingers. It was because of this conduct that caused Hephaestus to be generally well-liked by the "mortals" of the school, but disrespected and not quite shunned by his fellow Gods (with the exception of Athena, his older sister).

Hephaestus took his greatest joy in two things: his girlfriend, and his Woods class. His girlfriend because he loved her, and his Woods class because his art loved him. No other artisan in Greece could compare with Hephaestus' talent for crafting, and his intricate, unique designs left all who beheld them in utter awe and fascination. Even, occasionally, Aphrodite, which gave him the utmost satisfaction. He spend the vast majority of his class time fashioning anything he thought might please her, and many of his most outstanding pieces were made in her honor. He also, from time to time, carved trinkets for his sister, whom he respected more than any other of The Gods. She had told him once, when they were younger, that the love and energy needed to make his leg work had been put into his hands at his leg's expense, but she thought it was worth the sacrifice.

So it happened that it was Athena who asked Hephaestus to fashion the most beautiful jewel he had in his collection into a pendant for her to wear to that year's prom (Mount Olympus proms were famous throughout the country for their lavish extravagance). She requested this of him because she trusted no one but her younger brother to produce an item that was truly up to the standards of a Goddess, and (though she wouldn't admit it to herself), she felt the desire to express the compassion she had toward her brother, whom she inwardly recognized as the only one scorned among The Gods. Which is why her anger was more injured feelings than it was anger when he refused.

"I've already promised that jewel to Aphrodite," he said, "Can you pick another?"

But Athena would not. No other jewel but the absolute one of her dreams would suffice, and being denied what she wanted, by Hephaestus no less, was an emotion a Goddess was not used to coping with. In fact, it frustrated Athena to such an extent that she forced herself to examine why she felt the way she did, and, in her conclusion, she made a firm decision that the one truly responsible for her lack of one perfect jewel was not her brother, but, indeed, her brother's dim-witted girlfriend. She therefore made a vow to do two things before the ceremonious dance took place: she would separate her brother and her fellow Goddess (and blame it on the mortals, however she chose to accomplish this), and she would acquire that jewel which rightly belonged to her.

And Hephaestus, in-love, in-fatuated, and lonely, was completely unaware.


	2. Chapter 1

Okay, well here's the first chapter!!! Please review and tell me what you think!!! Should I bother continuing?

**Chapter 1**

A final wood shaving fell to the tiled floor, completing the scattered pattern that surrounded the legs of the chair, as an expert hand gently maneuvered a knife along the surface of the former block of wood, successfully detailing a last wisp of curly hair. The carver, quiet and alone, placed his instrument on the table in font of him and paused to study his work, his eyes meticulously, skillfully scrutinizing every intricate incision. After a minute and a half he made up his dissatisfied mind to be satisfied, relaxed his gaze, and let the piece lay loose in his palm. He leaned back into the chair, closed his eyes, and inhaled, feeling deeply the familiar scent of sawdust that found a home in his nose.

"Hephaestus, good morning!" Hephaestus' eyes flew open and forgot about their peace. He rose from his seat to greet the interruption, which was Mr. Filmore, a tall, muscular man with a tan face who taught the Woods classes at Mount Olympus and drank coffee at all hours of the day. He unintentionally let the door slam behind him as he fairly bounded into the school's workshop and snaked through rows of tables and chairs.

"Morning, Mr. Filmore. You're late for class," said Hephaestus with a crooked, friendly grin. Mr. Filmore reached his desk in the corner of the spacious room and set down his briefcase over piles of paper and random carving utensils.

"This isn't a class," he took a sip from a coffeehouse cup, turned to look at Hephaestus, his wide eyes peeking just above the rim, "This is fifth period, where I get to drink espresso and wish I was at least half as good as one of my particularly amazing students. My ego can afford to be late."

Hephaestus tried to laugh brightly and hobbled over to where his would-be instructor stood, his useless leg lagging behind and leaving an uneven trail through the thin film of sawdust the covered most of the workshop floor.

"I'm afraid," he sighed, handing the freshly finished figurine to Mr. Filmore's free hand, "That inspiration as left me for the last week. It's nothing really special." Mr. Filmore loudly slurped more from his coffee and flipped the piece over in the large hollow of his palm. He blinked and rose an eyebrow.

"Well," he chuckled, "it definitely reminds me of a certain someone." Hephaestus' cheeks flushed pink and he averted his vision to things around the room that were suddenly fascinating. He scratched the back of his head and stammered.

"Oh, well, you know, I was just…just, uh, it was the first thing that…you know, came to mind, I guess…" The corner of Mr. Filmore's lips turned up slightly, but for a moment his eyes hung sadly downward. He held the carving out to return it to its creator.

"But you're right, it's not your best," he said, and set his coffee next to his briefcase. "What's up with that?" Fascinating things now very dull, Hephaestus' gaze pensively settled on his feet. Mr. Filmore cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms. "Something wrong?"

Hephaestus reflected to himself that the wood shavings from his carving were the same color as her real hair. It almost made him smile. He sighed again, and a moment later met his teacher's eyes and furrowed his brow. "My sister's upset with me."

"I'm so upset with him, Hera. _So_ upset. How could he do this to me? I'm his _sister_."

Athena angrily punctured several pieces of lettuce and a crouton with her fork and thrust it into her mouth, as if she could consume her frustration by consuming her lunch. Across the table from her, Hera picked at her own salad and rose a disgusted eyebrow at both Athena's comment and a boisterous group of mortals who occupied the table next to them in the busy cafeteria.

"I know," she said, "It's as if he, like…doesn't even like you or something." Athena put her fork down and gave small sigh.

"No, it's not like that," she replied, shaking her head at her salad, "It's just that that stupid girl controls him so much that he can't even occasionally make his own sister a priority. You know, I don't even think that she's actually asked him for it. He just thought she would like it, and so, in his mind, it's automatically hers."

Hera nodded and then a thought visibly crossed her mind. "What does it even look like?"

"What, the jewel?" Athena pushed her salad away. "It's so gorgeous. It's in the shape of an apple-"

"An apple?"

"Yeah, an apple. I know it sounds weird, but it's really beautiful. It's eighteen karat gold, and the stem and the leaves are made of diamonds. It would look lovely on a chain, and even lovelier with my prom dress."

There was a brief silence as both girls envisioned the jewel in her mind, Hera with curiosity, Athena with longing. A moment later Athena's face set hard and she looked her friend in the eye.

"I have to have that jewel, Hera."

Hera cocked her head to the side. "How're you going to do that, hun? Won't Aphrodite throw a fit if she ends up wanting it and figures out that Hephaestus gave it to you first?"

Athena found the corner of her mouth curving up mischievously. She leaned forward and motioned for Hera to do the same. Her eyes flashed and she whispered in Hera's ear, "Not if they're not together."

Hera gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. "Athena!"

Athena slouched back again into her chair and crossed her arms. Her brow creased. "I know, I know. It sounds like a mean thing to do, but, Hera…" she paused, and suddenly her eyes were not looking at the girl across from her, or at anything else in the cafeteria. "It would be better. For him. He needs…not Aphrodite. He needs someone who actually, you know…" She studied Hera's expression sideways and searched for any signs of understanding, but Hera's eyes were vacant. Hera bit her lip and moved her head from side to side.

"Someone who…?"

Athena looked away again. "Never mind. Are finished with your lunch?" Hera, comprehending this new question, said she was and both girls simultaneously stood, neglected to push in their chairs, and carried their trays to the conveyer belt that would transport their dishes to the dishroom. On their way out of the cafeteria, Hera began to gush and giggle about Zeus' latest victory for the Academic Decathlon team, and Athena pretended to listen. Her mind, however, was otherwise occupied with further convincing her conscience that her little brother most certainly was better off without his girlfriend.

_He needs someone who actually loves him_, she told it.

Her conscience was satisfied, and she found new resolve to make it happen.


End file.
